rot

See also: Appendix:Variations of "rot"

Languages (22)

English

---

Afrikaans • Alemannic German • Catalan • Dutch • French • Friulian • German • Icelandic • Low German • Middle English • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old Dutch • Old English • Old High German • Old Swedish • Pennsylvania German • Polish • Swedish • Tok Pisin • Vilamovian

---

Page categories

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English roten, rotten, from Old English rotian (“to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy”), from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: rŏt IPA^(key): /ɹɒt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹɑt/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (Standard Southern British, Australia, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ɹɔt/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ɾɔt/
• Homophone: wrought (cot–caught merger)
• Rhymes: -ɒt

Verb

rot (third-person singular simple present rots, present participle rotting, simple past and past participle rotted)

1. (intransitive) To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.

   The apple left in the cupboard all that time had started to rot.

   • 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC:

     Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot, / To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot.

2. (intransitive) To decline in function or utility.

   Your brain will rot if you spend so much time on the computer, Tony!

3. (ambitransitive) To (cause to) deteriorate in any way, as in morals; to corrupt.
4. (transitive) To make putrid; to cause to be wholly or partially decomposed by natural processes.

   to rot vegetable fiber

5. (intransitive, figurative) To spend a long period of time (in an unpleasant place or state).

   to rot in prison

   to rot in Hell

   If I hadn't rotted in bed all day I would've come...

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

     Four of the sufferers were left to rot in irons.

   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Book of Snobs:

     Rot, poor bachelor, in your club.

6. (transitive) To expose, as flax, to a process of maceration, etc., for the purpose of separating the fiber; to ret.
7. (dated, slang) To talk nonsense.
   • 1894, H. G. Wells, The Hammerpond Park Burglary:

     “Did they hang you well?” said Porson.
     “Don’t rot,” said Mr Watkins; “I don’t like it.”

   • 1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 26:

     Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’

8. (transitive, slang, imperative) Damn; blast.
   • 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:

     "Oh rot yer!" exclaimed Fank, with a sudden flare of passion that at least carried with it the dignity of a genuine emotion; "I've had just abart enough of you and your blinkin' game, Toady Joolby. Here, I'd sooner smash the bloody thing, straight, than be such a ruddy mug as to swallow any of your blahsted promises […] "

Synonyms

• putrefy
• molder

Translations

(intransitive) to suffer decomposition

Albanian: please add this translation if you can Altai: Southern Altai: чириир (čiriir), ылјыраар (ïlǰïraar) Arabic: أَفْسَدَ (ʔafsada), فَسَدَ (fasada) Gulf Arabic: خاس (ḵās) Hijazi Arabic: عَفَّن (ʕaffan), خَمَّج (ḵammaj), خاس (ḵās) Moroccan Arabic: خْمج (ḵməj) Armenian: փտել (hy) (pʻtel), նեխել (hy) (nexel) Aromanian: putridzãscu Assamese: গেলা (gela) Azerbaijani: çürümək (az) Bangi: pola Bashkir: сереү (serew) Basque: usteldu Belarusian: гніць impf (hnicʹ) Breton: breinañ (br) Bulgarian: гни́я (bg) impf (gníja) Catalan: podrir (ca) Chinese: Cantonese: 爛 / 烂 (laan6) Mandarin: 腐化 (zh) (fǔhuà), 腐壞 / 腐坏 (zh) (fǔhuài), 腐爛 / 腐烂 (zh) (fǔlàn) Cornish: pedri, breyna Czech: hnít (cs) impf Danish: rådne Dutch: rotten (nl), vergaan (nl) Erzya: наксадомс (naksadoms) Esperanto: putri Estonian: mädanema (et) Finnish: mädäntyä (fi), mädätä (fi), lahota (fi) French: pourrir (fr) Galician: podrecer (gl) Georgian: ლპობა (lṗoba), დალპობა (dalṗoba), ჩალპობა (čalṗoba), ხრწნა (xrc̣na) German: verrotten (de), verderben (de), faulen (de), verfaulen (de), verwesen (de), putreszieren, sich zersetzen, in Fäulnis übergehen Greek: σαπίζω (el) (sapízo) Ancient Greek: σήπομαι (sḗpomai) Hebrew: נרקב m (nirkáv) Hindi: सड़ना (hi) (saṛnā) Hungarian: rohad (hu), rothad (hu) Ingrian: märätä, mehestyä, märkänessä Irish: lobh Italian: marcire (it), putrefare, putrefarsi, imputridire, putrire Japanese: 腐る (ja) (くさる, kusaru) Khmer: រលួយ (km) (rɔluəy) Kituba: bola Korean: 썩다 (ko) (sseokda), 부패하다 (ko) (bupaehada) Kyrgyz: чирүү (cirüü), ылжыроо (ıljıroo) Latgalian: pyut, trupēt Latin: pūtrescō, putrefaciō, tābescō Latvian: pūt (lv) Lingala: pola Lithuanian: pūti Macedonian: гние impf (gnie) Malayalam: ചീയുക (ml) (cīyuka) Māori: whakapopo, ane Moksha: наксадомс (naksadoms) Mongolian: please add this translation if you can Occitan: poirir (oc) Old Church Slavonic: Cyrillic: гнити impf (gniti) Old Tupi: tuîuk Oromo: tortoruu Persian: پوسیدن (fa) (pusidan), گندیدن (fa) (gandidan) Pohnpeian: soumetla Polish: gnić (pl) impf, zgnić (pl) pf Portuguese: putrefazer, apodrecer (pt) Quechua: ismuy (qu) Romanian: putrezi (ro), descompune (ro) Russian: гнить (ru) impf (gnitʹ), сгнить (ru) pf (sgnitʹ), разлага́ться (ru) (razlagátʹsja) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: трулити impf Latin: truliti (sh) impf Slovak: hniť impf Slovene: gniti impf Spanish: pudrirse (es), podrirse (es) Swedish: ruttna (sv) Tajik: вайрон шудан (vayron šudan), пӯсидан (püsidan) Tamil: அழுகு (ta) (aḻuku) Thai: ผุ (th) (pù) Tibetan: རུལ (rul) Tocharian B: āmp- Turkish: çürümek (tr) Ukrainian: гни́ти impf (hnýty), згнити pf (zhnyty) Unami: alët (inanimate), alël (animate) Uzbek: chirimoq (uz) Vietnamese: rữa (vi), rã (vi) Walloon: pouri (wa) Welsh: pydru (cy), braenu, madru (cy) Yiddish: פֿוילן (foyln)

(transitive) to make putrid

Greek: σαπίζω (el) (sapízo) Ancient Greek: σήπω (sḗpō), σαπρίζω (saprízō) Malayalam: ചീയിക്കുക (ml) (cīyikkuka) Spanish: pudrir (es), podrir (es)

(transitive) to cause to deteriorate in any way, as in morals

Greek: Ancient Greek: σήπω (sḗpō) Russian: разлага́ть (ru) (razlagátʹ)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "moved over from decay:rot"

Armenian: փտել (hy) (pʻtel) Chinese: Mandarin: 腐烂 (zh) (fǔlàn), 腐爛 / 腐烂 (zh) (fǔlàn) Czech: hnít (cs) Danish: rådne Dutch: verrotten (nl), slecht worden Finnish: maatua (fi), pilaantua (fi), lahota (fi), mädäntyä (fi) French: pourrir (fr) Georgian: ლპება (lṗeba), იხრწნება (ixrc̣neba) Greek: Ancient Greek: σήπομαι (sḗpomai) Hebrew: התקלקל m (hitkalkel) Hungarian: korhad (hu), rothad (hu), szuvasodik (hu), elmállik (hu) Latvian: pūt (lv) Māori: whakapopo, koropungapunga Polish: gnić (pl) Portuguese: apodrecer (pt), estragar (pt), putrefazer Quechua: ismuy (qu) Swedish: ruttna (sv), sönderfalla (sv), förfalla (sv), sönderdelas (sv)

Noun

rot (countable and uncountable, plural rots)

1. The process of becoming rotten; putrefaction.
2. Decaying matter.
   • 2016, Nathanael Johnson, Unseen City, →ISBN, page 115:

     When a turkey vulture detects the scent of rot, it circles down, tracing the plume of chemicals to its source.

3. (chiefly in compounds) Any of several diseases in which breakdown of tissue occurs.
   • 1658–1663, John Milton, Paradise Lost:

     His cattle must of rot and murrain die.

5. (uncountable) Verbal nonsense.

   You're talking rot! I don't believe a word.

Synonyms

• (nonsense): See also Thesaurus:nonsense

Translations

process of becoming rotten — see also decay,‎ putrefaction

Bulgarian: гниене (bg) n (gniene) Finnish: mätäneminen (fi) Latin: cariēs f, tabēs f, pūtor (la) m Malayalam: ചീയൽ (cīyal) Pohnpeian: soumet Spanish: putrefacción (es) f, podre (es) f, podredumbre (es) f, pudrimiento m, podrimiento m, podredura f, pudrición (es) f Turkish: çürüme (tr)

verbal nonsense — see also nonsense

Bulgarian: глупости (bg) f pl (gluposti) Māori: kohe

disease in which breakdown of tissue occurs

Chinese: Mandarin: 腐病 (fǔbìng)

Derived terms

from noun or verb

• Alabama rot
• Armillaria root rot
• Barcoo rot
• bed rot
• bit rot
• bitter rot
• black rot
• brain rot
• brainrot
• brain-rot
• brain-rotting
• brown rot
• charcoal rot
• code rot
• cotton root rot
• crotch rot
• data rot
• disc rot
• disk rot
• dry-rot
• dry rot
• fin rot
• fleece rot
• foot rot
• gambler's rot
• green rot
• gut rot
• heartrot
• heart rot
• hoofrot
• Italian brain rot
• Java black rot
• jock rot
• jungle rot
• knob rot
• laser rot
• linkrot
• liver rot
• mahogany rot
• mushroom root rot
• noble rot
• pelt rot
• pizzle rot
• potter's rot
• red rot
• ring rot
• root rot
• rot-13
• rot away
• rot-goose
• rotgut
• rot gut
• rot in hell
• rot me
• rot off
• rot pocket
• rotproof
• rot-proof
• rot-scape
• rotsome
• rot-steep
• rottable
• rot through
• sap rot
• scrot rot
• shoestring root rot
• soft rot
• software rot
• star rot
• Texas root rot
• tommy-rot
• URL rot
• violet root rot
• wet-rot
• wet rot
• white rot
• wood-rot
• woodrot

Anagrams

• ORT, OTR, RTO, TOR, TRO, Tor, ort, tor

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch rot, dialectal form of rat.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

rot (plural rotte)

1. rat

See also

• muis

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• rout, ruat, ròt, röts

Etymology

From Middle High German rōt (“red, red-haired”), from Old High German rōt (“red, scarlet, purple-red, brown-red, yellow-red”), from Proto-Germanic *raudaz. Cognate with German rot, Dutch rood, English red, West Frisian read, Danish rød.

Adjective

rot

1. (Formazza) red

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin ructus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈrut]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Central, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈrot]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ot

Noun

rot m (plural rots)

1. belch

   Synonym: eructe

Related terms

• rotar

Further reading

• “rot”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “rot”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɔt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: rot
• Rhymes: -ɔt
• Homophone: Rott

Etymology 1

From rotten.

Adjective

rot (comparative rotter, superlative rotst)

1. rotten, spoiled, decayed, putrid
2. rotten, tedious, unkind, mean

Declension

Declension of rot
uninflected	rot
inflected	rotte
comparative	rotter
	positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial	rot	rotter	het rotst het rotste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	rotte	rottere	rotste
n. sing.	rot	rotter	rotste
plural	rotte	rottere	rotste
definite	rotte	rottere	rotste
partitive	rots	rotters	—

Derived terms

• rot-
• rotheid

Noun

rot n (plural rotten, diminutive rotje n)

1. rot (process of becoming rotten; putrefaction)

Derived terms

• breinrot

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch rotte.

Noun

rot f (plural rotten, diminutive rotje n)

1. (dialectal, Northern) alternative form of rat

Derived terms

• landrot
• oude rot
• zeerot

Etymology 3

From Middle Dutch rote. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

rot n or f (plural rotten, diminutive rotje n)

1. (military) a file (of men)
2. (obsolete) multitude, band, throng

   Synonyms: drom, massa, menigte, schare

Anagrams

• tor

French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin ructus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁo/

• Audio (France (Brétigny-sur-Orge)):

  (file)

• Homophones: rhô, ros, rôt

Noun

rot m (plural rots)

1. (colloquial) belch, burp

   Synonyms: éructation, renvoi

   • 2014, Édouard Louis, En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule [The End of Eddy], Le Seuil:

     Des habitudes, des façons de se comporter qui m'avaient façonné et qui pourtant, déjà, me semblaient déplacées — comme les habitudes de ma famille : se promener nu dans la maison, les rots à table, les mains qui n'étaient pas lavées avant le repas.

     Habits and ways of behaving which had moulded me, and yet already seemed inappropriate to me – like the way my family would walk around the house naked, burp at the table, not wash their hands before a meal.

Related terms

• roter

Further reading

• “rot”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin ruptus.

Adjective

rot (feminine rote)

1. broken

Derived terms

• rote

Related terms

• rompi
• roture

German

Alternative forms

• roth (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German rōt (“red, red-haired”), from Old High German rōt (“red, scarlet, purple-red, brown-red, yellow-red”), from Proto-West Germanic *raud, from Proto-Germanic *raudaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rowdʰós, from *h₁rewdʰ-.

Compare Low German root, rod, rot, Dutch rood, English red, West Frisian read, Danish rød.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /roːt/, [ʁoːt(ʰ)], [roːt]
• IPA^(key): [ɣoːtʰ] (colloquial; used by some natives)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oːt

Adjective

rot (strong nominative masculine singular roter, comparative röter or roter, superlative am rötesten or am rotesten)

1. red (colour)
2. (politics, relational) red (pertaining to Marxism in the widest sense: social democratic, socialist, communist)
   1. (politics, Germany, in particular, relational) of the social democratic SPD or the more rigidly socialist Linke
3. (possibly mildly offensive) red-haired
4. (historical, possibly offensive) redskin; Native American; Indian

Declension

Positive forms of rot

number & gender	singular	plural
masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative	er ist rot	sie ist rot	es ist rot	sie sind rot
strong declension (without article)	nominative	roter	rote	rotes	rote
genitive	roten	roter	roten	roter
dative	rotem	roter	rotem	roten
accusative	roten	rote	rotes	rote
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der rote	die rote	das rote	die roten
genitive	des roten	der roten	des roten	der roten
dative	dem roten	der roten	dem roten	den roten
accusative	den roten	die rote	das rote	die roten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein roter	eine rote	ein rotes	(keine) roten
genitive	eines roten	einer roten	eines roten	(keiner) roten
dative	einem roten	einer roten	einem roten	(keinen) roten
accusative	einen roten	eine rote	ein rotes	(keine) roten

Comparative forms of rot

number & gender	singular	plural
masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative	er ist röter er ist roter	sie ist röter sie ist roter	es ist röter es ist roter	sie sind röter sie sind roter
strong declension (without article)	nominative	röterer roterer	rötere rotere	röteres roteres	rötere rotere
genitive	röteren roteren	röterer roterer	röteren roteren	röterer roterer
dative	röterem roterem	röterer roterer	röterem roterem	röteren roteren
accusative	röteren roteren	rötere rotere	röteres roteres	rötere rotere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der rötere der rotere	die rötere die rotere	das rötere das rotere	die röteren die roteren
genitive	des röteren des roteren	der röteren der roteren	des röteren des roteren	der röteren der roteren
dative	dem röteren dem roteren	der röteren der roteren	dem röteren dem roteren	den röteren den roteren
accusative	den röteren den roteren	die rötere die rotere	das rötere das rotere	die röteren die roteren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein röterer ein roterer	eine rötere eine rotere	ein röteres ein roteres	(keine) röteren (keine) roteren
genitive	eines röteren eines roteren	einer röteren einer roteren	eines röteren eines roteren	(keiner) röteren (keiner) roteren
dative	einem röteren einem roteren	einer röteren einer roteren	einem röteren einem roteren	(keinen) röteren (keinen) roteren
accusative	einen röteren einen roteren	eine rötere eine rotere	ein röteres ein roteres	(keine) röteren (keine) roteren

Superlative forms of rot

number & gender	singular	plural
masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative	er ist am rötesten er ist am rotesten	sie ist am rötesten sie ist am rotesten	es ist am rötesten es ist am rotesten	sie sind am rötesten sie sind am rotesten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	rötester rotester	röteste roteste	rötestes rotestes	röteste roteste
genitive	rötesten rotesten	rötester rotester	rötesten rotesten	rötester rotester
dative	rötestem rotestem	rötester rotester	rötestem rotestem	rötesten rotesten
accusative	rötesten rotesten	röteste roteste	rötestes rotestes	röteste roteste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der röteste der roteste	die röteste die roteste	das röteste das roteste	die rötesten die rotesten
genitive	des rötesten des rotesten	der rötesten der rotesten	des rötesten des rotesten	der rötesten der rotesten
dative	dem rötesten dem rotesten	der rötesten der rotesten	dem rötesten dem rotesten	den rötesten den rotesten
accusative	den rötesten den rotesten	die röteste die roteste	das röteste das roteste	die rötesten die rotesten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein rötester ein rotester	eine röteste eine roteste	ein rötestes ein rotestes	(keine) rötesten (keine) rotesten
genitive	eines rötesten eines rotesten	einer rötesten einer rotesten	eines rötesten eines rotesten	(keiner) rötesten (keiner) rotesten
dative	einem rötesten einem rotesten	einer rötesten einer rotesten	einem rötesten einem rotesten	(keinen) rötesten (keinen) rotesten
accusative	einen rötesten einen rotesten	eine röteste eine roteste	ein rötestes ein rotestes	(keine) rötesten (keine) rotesten

Synonyms

• (red-haired): rothaarig
• (redskin): rothäutig

Hyponyms

• blassrot
• blutrot
• dunkelrot
• feuerrot
• hellrot
• karminrot
• kupferrot
• orangerot
• rosarot
• rostrot
• rubinrot
• scharlachrot
• tiefrot
• tomatenrot
• weinrot

Derived terms

• Rot, röten, Röte, Röteln, Rötung, rötlich
• Roter m (“Marxist/communist”)

Related terms

• rot sehen
• rot-grün
• rot-rot
• rot-rot-grün
• Rotbleierz
• rotbräunlich
• Rote Bete
• Rote Brigaden
• Rote Grütze
• Roteisenstein
• Rotfärbung
• Rotfuchs
• rotglühend
• Rotglut
• rothaarig
• Rothaut
• Rotkäppchen
• Rotkehlchen
• Rotkopfente
• Rotohrara
• Rotrückenbussard
• Rotschopf
• Rotschulterbussard
• Rotstift
• Rotwein

Further reading

• “rot”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[1] (in German)
• “rot” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “rot” in Duden online
• “rot” in OpenThesaurus.de
• rot on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrɔːt]
• Rhymes: -ɔːt

Etymology 1

Noun

rot n (genitive singular rots, no plural)

1. unconsciousness, insensibility

Declension

Declension of rot (sg-only neuter)

	singular
indefinite	definite
nominative	rot	rotið
accusative	rot	rotið
dative	roti	rotinu
genitive	rots	rotsins

Related terms

• rota

Etymology 2

See rotna.

Noun

rot n (genitive singular rots, nominative plural rot)

1. rot, decay, putrefaction

Declension

Declension of rot (neuter)

	singular	plural
indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	rot	rotið	rot	rotin
accusative	rot	rotið	rot	rotin
dative	roti	rotinu	rotum	rotunum
genitive	rots	rotsins	rota	rotanna

Related terms

• rotna
• rotinn
• rota

Low German

Adjective

rot (German Low German)

1. alternative spelling of root

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

rot

1. alternative form of rote (“root”)

Etymology 2

Verb

rot

1. alternative form of roten (“to rot”)

Etymology 3

A back-formation from roten (“to rot”).

Alternative forms

• rote, root, rotte, rott

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɔt/, /rɔːt/

Noun

rot (uncountable)

1. Rotting or decomposition; the situation where something rots.
2. Any disease which causes decaying and decomposition in humans.
3. A disease that afflicts sheep; footrot, the rot.

Descendants

• English: rot

References

• “rō̆t, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 February 2019.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse rót, from Proto-Germanic *wrōts, from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds.

Noun

rot m or f (definite singular rota or roten, indefinite plural røtter, definite plural røttene)

1. root (part of a plant normally below ground level)
2. root (of a tooth)
3. root (of a hair)

Derived terms

• gressrot
• gulrot
• kvadratrot
• kålrot
• pælerot
• rotbløyte
• rotfrukt

Etymology 2

Verb

rot

1. imperative of rote

References

• “rot” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ruːt/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse rót, from Proto-Germanic *wrōts, from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds. Akin to English root.

Noun

rot f (definite singular rota, indefinite plural røter, definite plural røtene)

1. root (of a plant)
2. root (of a tooth)
3. root (of a hair)

Inflection

Historical inflection of rot

	singular	plural
indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
Aasen1	Rot	Roti	Røter	Røterna
1901			røter (røtar)	røterne (røtane)
1917		rota, roti	røter [røtter]	røtene2 [røttene]
1938		rota [roti]	røter	røtene
2012 (current)	rot	rota	røter	røtene

• Forms in italics are currently considered non-standard.
• Forms in [brackets] were official, but considered second-tier.
• Forms in (parentheses) were allowed under Midlandsnormalen.
• ¹Nouns were capitalised for most of the 19th century. ²Form was allowed for schoolchildren as of 1910.

Derived terms

• gulrot
• kvadratrot
• kålrot
• rotfrukt

Etymology 2

From Old Norse rót.

Noun

rot n (definite singular rotet, uncountable)

1. a mess, untidiness, chaos

   Det er for mykje rot på loftet. Me må rydda.

   The attic is a mess. We have to tidy it up.

   Når me prøver å samarbeida med dei, blir det berre rot.

   When we try working with them, it just turns into chaos.

References

• “rot” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• ort, Tor, tor, tro

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *raud.

Adjective

rōt

1. red

Inflection

Declension of rōt (a-stem)

strong declension
case	masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
nominative	rōt	rōt	rōt	rōda, rōde
accusative	rōdan, rōden	rōda	rōt	rōda, rōde
genitive	rōdes	rōdero	rōdes	rōdero
dative	rōdin, rōdemo	rōdero	rōdin, rōdemo	rōdon
weak declension
case	masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
nominative	rōdo	rōda	rōda	rōdon
accusative	rōdon	rōdon	rōda	rōdon
genitive	rōdin	rōdon	rōdin	rōdono
dative	rōdin	rōdon	rōdin	rōdon

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: rôot
  • Dutch: rood
    • Afrikaans: rooi
    • Jersey Dutch: rôi
    • Negerhollands: rooi, ro, roo, rood
    • Skepi Creole Dutch: aro
  • Limburgish: roead

Further reading

• “rōt”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /roːt/
• Rhymes: -oːt

Adjective

rōt (comparative rōtra, superlative rōtost)

1. glad, cheerful
2. noble, great

Declension

Declension of rōt — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rōt	rōt	rōt
Accusative	rōtne	rōte	rōt
Genitive	rōtes	rōtre	rōtes
Dative	rōtum	rōtre	rōtum
Instrumental	rōte	rōtre	rōte
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rōte	rōta, rōte	rōt
Accusative	rōte	rōta, rōte	rōt
Genitive	rōtra	rōtra	rōtra
Dative	rōtum	rōtum	rōtum
Instrumental	rōtum	rōtum	rōtum

Declension of rōt — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rōta	rōte	rōte
Accusative	rōtan	rōtan	rōte
Genitive	rōtan	rōtan	rōtan
Dative	rōtan	rōtan	rōtan
Instrumental	rōtan	rōtan	rōtan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rōtan	rōtan	rōtan
Accusative	rōtan	rōtan	rōtan
Genitive	rōtra, rōtena	rōtra, rōtena	rōtra, rōtena
Dative	rōtum	rōtum	rōtum
Instrumental	rōtum	rōtum	rōtum

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *raud, from Proto-Germanic *raudaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rowdʰós, from *h₁rewdʰ-.

Adjective

rōt

1. red

Declension

Strong declension of rot

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtēr, rot	rōtiu, rot	rōtaȥ, rot
accusative	rōtan	rōta	rōtaȥ, rot
genitive	rōtes	rōtera	rōtes
dative	rōtemu	rōteru	rōtemu
instrumental	rōtu	—	rōtu
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōte, rot	rōto, rot	rōtiu, rot
accusative	rōte	rōto	rōtiu, rot
genitive	rōtero	rōtero	rōtero
dative	rōtēm	rōtēm	rōtēm

Weak declension of rot

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōto	rōta	rōta
accusative	rōton	rōtūn	rōta
genitive	rōten	rōtūn	rōten
dative	rōten	rōtūn	rōten
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōton	rōtūn	rōton
accusative	rōton	rōtūn	rōton
genitive	rōtōno	rōtōno	rōtōno
dative	rōtōm	rōtōm	rōtōm

Declension of comparative of rot

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtōro	rōtōra	rōtōra
accusative	rōtōron	rōtōrūn	rōtōra
genitive	rōtōren	rōtōrūn	rōtōren
dative	rōtōren	rōtōrūn	rōtōren
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtōron	rōtōrūn	rōtōron
accusative	rōtōron	rōtōrūn	rōtōron
genitive	rōtōrōno	rōtōrōno	rōtōrōno
dative	rōtōrōm	rōtōrōm	rōtōrōm

Strong declension of superlative rot

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtōstēr, rōtōst	rōtōstiu, rōtōst	rōtōstaȥ, rōtōst
accusative	rōtōstan	rōtōsta	rōtōstaȥ, rōtōst
genitive	rōtōstes	rōtōstera	rōtōstes
dative	rōtōstemu	rōtōsteru	rōtōstemu
instrumental	rōtōstu	—	rōtōstu
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtōste, rōtōst	rōtōsto, rōtōst	rōtōstiu, rōtōst
accusative	rōtōste	rōtōsto	rōtōstiu, rōtōst
genitive	rōtōstero	rōtōstero	rōtōstero
dative	rōtōstēm	rōtōstēm	rōtōstēm

Weak declension of superlative rot

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtōsto	rōtōsta	rōtōsta
accusative	rōtōston	rōtōstūn	rōtōsta
genitive	rōtōsten	rōtōstūn	rōtōsten
dative	rōtōsten	rōtōstūn	rōtōsten
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	rōtōston	rōtōstūn	rōtōston
accusative	rōtōston	rōtōstūn	rōtōston
genitive	rōtōstōno	rōtōstōno	rōtōstōno
dative	rōtōstōm	rōtōstōm	rōtōstōm

Descendants

• Middle High German: rōt
  • Alemannic German: rot, rout, ruat, ròt, röts (Italian Walser)
  • Central Franconian: rut, rot

    Kirchröadsj Ripuarian: roeëd

  • German: rot
  • Hunsrik: rod
  • Luxembourgish: rout
  • Mòcheno: roat
  • Pennsylvania German: rot
  • Vilamovian: rut
  • Yiddish: רויט (royt)

See also

Colors in Old High German · farawa, farwa (layout · text)

wīȥ	grāo	swarz
rōt	gelewrōt, gelorōt, rōtgelo; brūn, ërpf	gelo
	gruoni
	blāo	blāo
	purpura

See Further

• Karg-Gasterstädt, Elisabeth; Frings, Theodor; et al., editors (1952–2022), “rôt”, in Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch‎^[2] (in German), Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, via Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig

Old Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse rót, from Proto-Germanic *wrōts.

Noun

rōt f

1. root

Declension

Declension of rōt (consonant stem)

	singular	plural
indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	rōt	rōtin, rōtren rōterin, rōteren rōtern	rø̄ter	rø̄trina, rø̄trinar, rø̄trena, rø̄trenar
accusative	rōt	rōtina, rōtena	rø̄ter	rø̄trina, rø̄trinar, rø̄trena, rø̄trenar
dative	rōt	rōtinni, rōtinne	rōtum, rōtom	rōtumin, rōtomen
genitive	rōta, rōtar	rōtinna, rōtinnar	rōta	rōtanna

Descendants

• Swedish: rot

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German rōt, from Proto-West Germanic *raud, from Proto-Germanic *raudaz. Compare German rot, Dutch rood, English red.

Adjective

rot

1. red

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔt/
• Rhymes: -ɔt
• Syllabification: rot
• Homophone: rod

Noun

rot f

1. genitive plural of rota

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish rōt, from Old Norse rót, from Proto-Germanic *wrōts, from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ruːt/

• Audio (Gotland):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːt

Noun

rot c

2. root; the part of a plant that anchors the plant body
3. the part of a tooth extending into the bone holding the tooth in place
5. source; an underlying cause

   Kärleken till pengar är roten till allt ont.

   The love of money is the root of all evil.

6. (mathematics) of a number n, a positive number which, when raised to a specified power, yields n; the square root is understood if no power is specified

   Kubikroten ur 27 är 3.

   The cube root of 27 is 3.

   Multiplicera med roten ur 2.

   Multiply by root 2.

8. (mathematics) a zero (of a function).
9. (mathematics) a designated node in a tree.
10. (mathematics) curl; a measure on how fast a vector field rotates: it can be described as the cross product of del and a given vectorial field
11. (computing) root directory
12. (linguistics) a word from which another word is derived.

Declension

Declension of rot

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	rot	rots
definite	roten	rotens
plural	indefinite	rötter	rötters
definite	rötterna	rötternas

Synonyms

(sense 3: source):

• källa

(sense 5: zero of a function):

• nollställe

Derived terms

(sense 1: root):

• rotvälta (“windthrow”)
• på rot (“standing; as it is”)

Related terms

(sense 1: root):

• ört (“herb”)

See also

• rötter
• rota (sig)

Further reading

• “rot”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)

Anagrams

• Tor, ort, tro

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English road.

Noun

rot

1. road, street
   • '2003, Mühlhäusler et al., Tok Pisin texts, John Benjamins Publishing Company, page 9:

     Planti liklik rot i stap long ailan hia.

     Many little roads exist on this island.

2. passage
   • 2019 February, Angela Kelly-Hanku, Stephen Andrew Bell, Sophe Ase, Ruthy Neo, Andrew Vallely, Steve Badman, Claire E. Nightingale, Johanna Wapling, “Developing a culturally appropriate illustrated tool for the self-collection of anorectal specimens for the testing of sexually transmitted infections: lessons from Papua New Guinea”, in BMC Public Health‎^[3]:

     In the original illustration in Fig. 1, the word ‘anus’ is referred to in stages 7–10 of the illustrated tool. The most anatomically correct description for the anus in Tok Pisin, ‘rot bilong pekpek’ literally translates to ‘the passage belonging to faeces’.

3. means, method, way
   • 2003, anonymous author, Wastaua‎^[4]:

     Tasol brata i lukautim miting inap kirapim tingting bilong ol brata sista long tingim ol samting em stadi i stori long en long rot bilong kamapim sampela askim moa.

     However, the one conducting a meeting may occasionally draw out those in attendance and stimulate their thinking on the subject by means of supplementary questions.

Derived terms

• rot bilong karim pikinini (“vulva”)
• rot bilong pekpek (“anus”)

References

Tok Pisin texts: from the beginning to the present / edited by Peter Mühlhäusler, Thomas E. Dutton, Suzanne Romaine. / John Benjamins Publishing Company / Copyright 2003 / →ISBN / page 106

Vilamovian

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Italian rata (“installment”).

Noun

rōt f (plural rota)

1. installment (a kind of payment)

Etymology 2

From Middle High German ratte, from Old High German ratta, perhaps from Proto-West Germanic *ratt, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz (“rat”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- (“to gnaw, scrape, scratch”).

Alternative forms

• rott

Noun

rot

1. rat